British Leyland

**Indiana_Jones** · 19th February 2010, 21:37

Loving all the old pics you guys have, keep it up

-Indy

**Motu** · 19th February 2010, 21:45

I swapped my nice CB750 (the common as one with the red tank and gold stripe) for a '73 Singer Vogue,the colour was called pewter....they were just a Hunter with a wood dash.Hard to believe a CB750 and Hillman Hunter were worth the same money at the time.They had a stupid breather that filled the air filter with oil,and as the motor was quite rooted,I put a road tube exiting in front of the left rear wheel.One day my wife got flagged down by an excited person yelling that her rear tyre was on fire.When I finally pulled the engine apart,I found a gudgeon pin circlip had come out,and there was a big slot in the bore...but a set of rings fixed it.It jumped out of 2 gears - 2nd and 3rd.One day it was in a prang,not our fault and their insurance payed out $1,000....I found a strut down at the dump,and sold it for $800.So I ended up recouping more than the agreed value of the swap...$1,600.

With the $800 I bought an Austin 1800.

**Motu** · 19th February 2010, 21:52

So back to Austin - one day I was rear ended by a Hillman Hunter,I looked back and saw the front wheel of the Hunter touching my back wheel.Shit,I thought...this is going to be 2 fucked cars.But when I pushed the Hunter back I found the 1800 had a cracked indicator lens....and I made her pay me $35 for a new one.

The Hunter was a Write Off.....

I once witnessed a head on between an Austin 1800 and a Hillman Imp - there was practically nothing left of the Imp in front of the windscreen....and of course the 1800 drove away with just minor damage.

**merv** · 19th February 2010, 21:55

Originally Posted by dipshit

My mates always got a laugh out of my Hillman Hunter that had 'Rootes' written across the front dash.

Chicks alway asked "what's that for?"

**Indiana_Jones** · 19th February 2010, 22:15

Originally Posted by Motu

So back to Austin - one day I was rear ended by a Hillman Hunter,I looked back and saw the front wheel of the Hunter touching my back wheel.Shit,I thought...this is going to be 2 fucked cars.But when I pushed the Hunter back I found the 1800 had a cracked indicator lens....and I made her pay me $35 for a new one.

The Hunter was a Write Off.....

I once witnessed a head on between an Austin 1800 and a Hillman Imp - there was practically nothing left of the Imp in front of the windscreen....and of course the 1800 drove away with just minor damage.

I suddenly feel so much better about my 1800 now lol

-Indy

**Edbear** · 20th February 2010, 08:18

Originally Posted by Motu

So back to Austin - one day I was rear ended by a Hillman Hunter,I looked back and saw the front wheel of the Hunter touching my back wheel.Shit,I thought...this is going to be 2 fucked cars.But when I pushed the Hunter back I found the 1800 had a cracked indicator lens....and I made her pay me $35 for a new one.

The Hunter was a Write Off.....

I once witnessed a head on between an Austin 1800 and a Hillman Imp - there was practically nothing left of the Imp in front of the windscreen....and of course the 1800 drove away with just minor damage.

Originally Posted by Indiana_Jones

I suddenly feel so much better about my 1800 now lol

-Indy

I was forced off the road once by a cattle truck, (narrow winding gravel road), and took out a strainer post and 20' of the farmer's fence. Slight bend in the left side guard, cost $40 to straighten by the panelbeater. Couldn't really notice the damage unless looking for it...

**Laava** · 20th February 2010, 09:18

I guess ugly can be good!

**Motu** · 20th February 2010, 11:35

Once I sold (no,not really,I gave it away) my last 1800,I had to get rid of the 2 donor wrecks off my back yard.I had winched them in there,up against the house at right angles to the drive.So I hooked up the 'Cruisers PTO winch to one and dragged it out and into the drive....but now there was no way to get the other one out.I would have to tow one away,then come back for the other.So I ran the winch cable around the belt line of one 1800,bottom of the window line around A,B and C pillars,and used it as a fulcrum to pull the other one around the house and up the drive.The old girl leaned into the strain,but didn't budge.When I had a look at the damage...there was none!! Just scrapped the paint from A and C pillers,no indentation from the wire rope or anything.

The Austin 1800 is the toughest car I've ever seen.I once towed a D1000 Ford truck with our 1800 ute.

**Edbear** · 20th February 2010, 13:04

Yup! Bro-in-law did one as a dirt track car in Wellsford years ago. Hotted up the engine, locked it in 2nd, replaced the rubber-cushed universals with solid and raced it very successfully! Having the radiator on the side protected that and the motor never died that I can recall despite the extreme revving it got. No-one could damage it enough on the track to knock it out of a race.

**dipshit** · 20th February 2010, 14:38

Originally Posted by Laava

I guess ugly can be good!

Watch this. Smart car vs concrete barrier at 70 mph.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s&feature=fvw

**pete376403** · 21st February 2010, 22:03

Originally Posted by Motu

I once witnessed a head on between an Austin 1800 and a Hillman Imp - there was practically nothing left of the Imp in front of the windscreen....and of course the 1800 drove away with just minor damage.

I beg to differ - I had a (w)imp and had a minor traffic bingle with some other brand of car (forget what) anyway the Imp had a bit of a crease above the headlight, the other car needed a new front wing. I guess the outcome of every prang is different.

The Imp should have been a lot better than it was. Being built in Scotland didn't help.

**Motu** · 22nd February 2010, 11:56

Um....this was an Austin 1800 against an Imp - that's like a brick wall against an Imp.Yes,I've some good results of Imp's in prangs,but they are much lighter in front sheetmetal than an 1800.

**bungbung** · 22nd February 2010, 12:09

Oh yeah, Rootes group - Myself and flatmate scored a Commer cob for the price of ownership changeover $25, it took us a couple of weeks to work out that the starter was operated by a pull out switch on the dash. That saved a lot of pushing.